Sony took some criticism at the size of the behemoth PlayStation 3 console when it first launched, so when a smaller PS3 hardware revision launched in 2009, the slimmer size pleased many. If critics were happy with that announcement then they're likely to be ecstatic now as the company has revealed another PS3 revision that brings the console's size down even further. Clocking in at a quarter smaller and a fifth lighter than the last PS3 model, this new box boasts 250 GB and 500 GB hard drives (depending on the model you choose) and comes packed with a game. Kotaku has the story.
In the US, the 250GB model will be out on September 25, and will include Uncharted 3 and a $30 "digital content" voucher for DUST 514 (a free-to-play game). It'll cost $270.
There'll also be a 500GB bundle including Assassin's Creed III that'll go on sale in the US on October 30. No price on that one yet.
I would have thought that the price would have been cheaper for this model, but I suppose these changes were more to bring manufacturing costs down than to aggressively compete in the marketplace. Plus, now Sony has given itself room to move on future price cuts in case it decides to compete with Nintendo's Wii U. Moreover, it seems that the 250 GB model is meant for new PS3 owners since it comes with a game that's been out for a year now, while the 500 GB model features a brand new game.
Oh, yes, and in some regions, there's another model launching: one that comes with just 12 GB of storage space. That's not a typo.
Those purchasing the 12GB model will still be able to upgrade and drop a HDD in there later; the only change is that when they do, that 12GB will no longer be available for internal storage.
This HDD-less PS3 will be released on September 27 in Australia and October 12 in Europe. It'll be priced at €229 / AUD$300.
I'm not certain why that's needed (or even really practical considering storage requirements for both retail disc games and downloadable content), but if it's meant to be a stock base model into which customers are expected to install a massive hard drive on their own dollar and initiative, then godspeed and good luck to everyone involved.
